This wasn’t Elizabeth Banks’ first shoot for SELF, but that didn’t make it any less exciting. “I love the magazine,” she told us on set. “It’s so accessible!” So was the star–she made shooting a breeze. Watch the video!

The actress, who arrived solo wearing a blue button-down, 7 For All Mankind jeans and Coach sandals, once appeared in a lifestyle feature in SELF. “I went to test out a spa in Palm Springs with my best friend at the time, who was pregnant and happened to look skinnier than me,” she recalled. “But that’s OK! She’s a professional model, so I suppose I can’t blame her.”

Banks looked like a professional model in the clothes our fashion team selected. She was a big fan of the yellow and raspberry dresses we shot her in, and raved about the Michael Kors picks we had on hand.

In between poses, the star told us all about the book club she’s a part of (Sarah Chalke is also a member). Right now, she’s reading The Hunger Games, but she told us her favorite book of the last several years is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. “I’m a voracious reader because I find that as an actor, you have to bring your life experience to whatever role you’re playing,” she told us. “The more experiences I’m soaking up, whether it be fictional, non-fictional or my actual life, I just like stories and story-telling–that’s my job. So reading helps me do my job better.”

Source

Women’s Health Editorial Director David Zinczenko today announced the selection of “W” star Elizabeth Banks as Women’s Health’s first-ever celebrity cover,for the October 2008 issue. The introduction of celebrity covers coincides with a series of art and editorial enhancementsthat Zinczenko says are designed to drive home the healthy,active lifestyle that Women’s Health has come torepresent.
“Elizabeth Banks is the perfect star to usher in the new era at Women’s Health,” Zinczenko said. “From Seabiscuit to Spiderman 3, everything she does is a success. And that goes for Women’s Health as well.”
Banks says she was impressed by what the magazine stands for. “It’s an honor to be the first celebrity on the cover of Women’s Health,” she said. “The emphasis this magazine puts on leading an active, healthy, and exciting life perfectly reflects my beliefs! Women’s Health is substance with style, by promoting positive body image no matter who you are.”

Elizabeth will be on the October 2008 issue of the magazine!

From Market Watch